VANDERBILT' ORIENTAL- SERIES

ASSYRIAN AND BABYLONIAN CONTRACTSSTEVENSON

SSA-77a.THE VANDERBILT ORIENTAL SERIESedited by

Herbert Gushing Tolman and James Henky Stevenson

ASSYRIAN

AND BABYLONIAN CONTRACTS

ARAMAIC TtEFERENCE TOTES

L^o^By

JAMES HENRY STEVENSON,Professor in I'atulerbilt UniversUy.

Vu.D.

3.

a

-

NEW YORK

:

CINCINNATI

:

CHICAGO

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY

Copyright,BY

190:3

James Henry StevensonE-P1

-V-_, ^}

/

/

PREFACE.In the present volumeall

the cuneiform tablets

in the British ISIuseum having

Aramaic

inscriptions,

are brought together for the

first

time, and arranged

for purposes of comparative study.

The cuneiform

texts v^ith their

Aramaic readings,

as they appear on the tablet, are reproduced with as

much

fidelity as possible;

and the individual Arain

maic texts appear separately"where eachis

a body of notes,is

discussed.

The reader

requested to

compare the legendsinal is

in both places, as it

may

some-

times happen in the process of etching, that the orig-

more

faithfully produced in

one place than in

the other.

The

entire corpus of

Aramaic

inscrip-

tions will be found

grouped together

at the close of

the cuneiform texts, where readings

may

be com-

pared, the development of the alphabet traced, and

the individual peculiarities of the scribes noted.

In the transliteration and translation the cuneiformorderis

followed, so that the line for line of the As-

syrian

may

be preserved.

This has obvious disad-

vantages, })ut I think the advantages outweigh them.I have not thoughtit

necessary to

mark

all

accent-

ed

letters, as

il,

a, etc.,

nor have I usually indicated

long vowels when they were not indicated by the(3)

4:

PREFACE.In the translation I have generally shown

scribe.

the constituent

elements of proper names where

these were certain.I desire to

acknowledge the uniform courtesy whichcopying these tablets in the Britishof

I received while

Museum, from Dr. E. A. Wallace Budge, keeperhis assistants.

Assyrian and Egyptian antiquities, as well as from

Every

facility

and encouragement

was given me toward making the collectiom complete.

1

am

indebted to

my

instructor.

Prof.

Robert

Francis Harper, for Aaluable suggestions and help

while studying these texts.

Rev. C. H. AV. Johns,in Queen's College,

M.A., lecturer in AssyriologyCambridge, has alsolaid

me

under obligation by

reading the greater part of this book in the proofsheets.

While

this kindnessis

on the part oi Dr. Har-

per and Mr. Johnsof

highly appreciated, yet neither

themParts

is

to be held responsible for opinions ex-

pressed here.I., II.,

and IV. of this l)ook were originally

presented to the University of Chicago for the de-

gree of doctor of philosophy.VANDEllBrLT UNIVERSITY,Nashville, Tenn,,

March

28, 1U03.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.Preface Table of Contents.

3 5 6

List of Abbreviations

Register of Tablets

8 9.

IntroductionAssyrian Texts Transliterated and Translated

30.

Babylonian Texts Tranliterated and Translated Aramaic Reference NotesRegister of Proper Names

90115 149157

Cuneiform and Aramaic Texts

....(5)

LIST OF AP3BREYIATIONS.A. B. P.A. B. B.

Br.

Meissner, BcitriigeLeipzig, 1893.

sum

AUbalyylonischen Pri-

vatreclit,

J.

Kohler uud F. E. Peiser, Aus dem Babylonischcn

Rcchtslcbcn, Leipzig, 1890, //.

A. D. D. C. H. W. Johns, Assyrian Deeds and Doctnnents, Vol. I., Cambridge, 1898; Vols. IL and IIL, 1901.B.

A.

itischcn Sjyrachwisscnschaft, hercmsgebeben

znr Assyriologie und vergleiclicndcn semvon Friedrieh Delitzsch und Paul Haupt, Leipzig, 1890, ff.

Beitrltge

B. A. L.

A. IL Sayce; The Semitic Series: B(d>ylomaus und Assyrians, Life and Customs, New York, 1900.

B. V.

C. /. S.

F. E. Peiser, BabyJonische Vcrtr'dge, Berlin, 1890. Corjnis Inscrijitiomim Scmiticanim, De Vogiie, Paris//.

1881,

Doc. Jur.

J.

Oppert andet

J.

Menant, Ducumcnts Juridiqucs

dc VAssyrieG. A.

de hi Clnddec.Inscriptions,

I. S. A. Cook, A Glossary of the Aramaie Cambridge, 1898.

(/.

A. S.

J. A.

Knudtzou, Gebete an den tionmngott, Leipzig,

1893.II.

W. J5. Friedrieh Delitzsch, AssyrischesLeipzig, 1894r-1.896.

Ilandiv'urterbucli,

J.

R. A. S.

Jonrnrd of t/te Payed Asiatic London, 1805, ffSchrader,

Society,

New

Series,

K,

5. Eberhanllin, 1889,

Kcrliiisc/irifllic/i,' llihliothck.

P.i-r-

//..

Mu.'kiiu

ASSYRIAN TEXTS TRANSLATED.either Nabti-ah-usui', or Ahuni, or Alu-nuri, or their brothers,

53

or the sou of their sons, or their brothers,or the sons of their brothers, or their relatives,^

who, with Kakkullanu, with his sons, with the son of his sons, lawsuit, indictment shall bring, with Astir, Samas, Bel, Nabu,or the lord of his lawsuit, 10 niina of silver shall deposit.

Before Before Before Before Before Before Before Before Before Before Beforethe

Astir-killanni, the general.

Likipu,Balasi,Zizi, the

i'luto sign.){ditto sign.)

second officer of {.ditto sign.) Idi, the merchant. Hirisa-a, the porter of the temple of Kidmuri. Salmute, the merchant.Samas-iksur, the. ..

officer.

ouma, the

scribe.

Ilu-gabri, the foot officer.

Sin-sar-usur, officer of the bodyguard.

The month lyyar, the 20th day,

eponymy:

of Sin-sar-usur, scri})e of the land.. . .

Aramaic

The document concerning

Sardurkal

No. 13.

Thein

seal of Samas-bullit-anni,

the seal of Ardi-Istar;all,

two sons of Abu-eriba,.. .

of the city of Kurubi,

owner(s) of the land, house,1

land,

park

Literally, "

any one

of theirs."

5i

ASSYRIAN TEXTS TRANSLITERATED.

tap-ri-u biiru a-na sanali tada-a-ni

bitu 2 imer ekli dah-di "'Ur-didalj-di "^Lu-u-balit bitu

54

KA ekli'"'"Nabii-l)alat-sii-ikl)i

dah-di "'Hii-sa-a-abitu 42

{ditto siani?])

KA [ekli dah-di '"]Lu-u-balit.

dah-di dah-di1

.

.

'" ''.

.

.

imer 30

KA ekli

d[ah-di. . .

.

.

.

dah-di "'Lu-u-l)alit

sa il-ki-' dah-di '^'Nergal-snm (?)-iddin

(

?)

30

KA ekli bitu it-hi-si ina sep'"'" *'"

tili

Sum-ma-''" Raniman 60 ina ku-tal tili SamaS-eriba 3 imer ka-ba-ku napharu 20 imer ekli ina Glb-BAR sa 9 bitudah-di

KA

dah-di

KA

at-ru 'Jkiru tap-ri-u burii ina '''Kur-u-bi

ina

u-pis-ma "'Kak-kul-la-nu ""^'rab ki-sir ku-um 1 mani kaspi a-na sanati ikkal

3 me-ri-se 3 ka-rap-hi ^ 6 sanati eklu ikkal kaspu ina eli se tarame^ i-sak-kan

eklu u-se-sa esre-tu se nu-sa-hi^reba-tu se ip-si '&Tebetu iimu G''"

'-""

lim-mu *'Sin-sar-usur "'"^'A.BA. mati pan "'Ba-la-si-i "'"*'' rab ki-sir apil sarri pan '"Asur-kil-la-an-ni "'"^^ {ditto sign) {ditto sign) pan '"Zi-zi-i ""*M.r attontion was called to tlie Aramaic on The catalogue makes no mention of it.this tablet liy

Mr. Johns.

ASSYRIAN TEXTS TRANSLATED.

75it.

While he conductsBefore Before Before BeforeDidi,.

his lawsuit he shall not take

Silim-ilu, the priest.. .

....

the priest(?).. . .

.

.

Milki-abu(?),

Zu-u.

..... .

governor of the land ofAramaic:

Concerning Menahem.

No.

21.

The seal of Huda, owner of the personsMarduk-hutnu,Adi, his brother,

sold.

two persons servants Huda, and has concluded a bargain (for them) Nina-a,in all,

of

the general of the king.

For

1 mina, 30 shekels of silver,

according to the mina of C'archcnns^, from Huda, he takes (them); the price is paid in full;those persons are sold,taken.

Appeal,

lawsuit, complaintshall not be.

Whoever

in the future,

wheneverhe shall bring an action at law,

ASSYRIAN TEXTS TRANSLITERATED.lu-u ^Hu-da-a-a lu-u aple-sn apil aple-suitti ''"^Kina-''^a-a

di-e-nu dababu ub-ta-u-ni

10

mane

kaspi 2

mane

hiirasi^'

ina pur-ki '^"Is-tar sa Kinai-sak-kan kaspu a-na esreti

a-na beli-su utar ina di-ni-su

idabub-ma la i-lak-ki pan "'Bel-dan-an "*'salsu hatu pan '"A-di-i pan "(?). i..

^

?

Aramaic:

l^ci^^^

*

*

*

No. 22. -Sm. 921.

Ku-mu

[kunuki-su su-pur-sii is-kun]

.su-piir '"Ilii-m[a-la-ku]

bel ekli [tada-ni]

bitu 30 imer eklisa

.

.

.

me

bitu 2 i[mer ekli

.

.

.

sa sammassammii'i-na ra-su[.. .

(diitoif] sujn)

ina

.

.

.

ina "'Ha-me kimmata nari, kimmatii kimmatu sa-ba-ru...

.

.

.

.

.

.

u-pis-ma "*Man-nii-k[iultu

.

.

.

pan

'"llii-ma-ka-[kiij

That

IS,

HUB.

Is tins

a synonym for

HU.

iSI *

ASSYRIAN TEXTS TRANST.ATED.either Hilda,

77

or his sons, the son of his sons,

who, with Nina-a,law.suit,

complaint shall bring,

10 mina of silver, 2 mina of gold, in the treasury of Istar of Ninevehshall deposit.

The money according

to tenths

to its

owners shall return. While his lawsuit he carries on he shall not take (it).. ..

Before Bel-danan, the third Before Adi. Before i...

oflScer.

.

Aramaic;

No. 22.Instead of his seal, he has placed his nail -mark. The nail-mark of Ilu-malaku,

owner of the land which is sold. Real estate, 30 imer of land of water; real estate 2 imer of land of sesame in. ..

(?)...

.

.

.

.

.

.

in

.

.

.

in the city of

Hame. ..

.

.

,

boundary is the canal, a boundar}^ is a boundary is has concluded a bargain for and Mannuki.

A

.

.

.

.

.

it.

From-The338 R.6.

Ilu-malakusign, Se, wiitten i)ei-uliarly.

Cf. 6m, in line U,

A. D. D. reads,

i,

and

C. I. S. omits tlie

and sib, in hue aUogcllier.

83-1-18,

78

ASSYRIAN TEXTS TRANSLITERATED.. . .

ina libbi 11 siklu ka[spi

kaspu ga-mur ta-dineklu [ki-a-tu zar-pu lak-ki-u]lu-u apil

.

.

.

lu-u kur-b[u^-su

.

.

.

lu-u

.

.

.

sa di-e[-nu dababu]itti11

"*M[an-uu-ki. . .

.

.

.

aple

61

mane

kaspi*'"

.

.

.

mani hur[asi.

.

.

.

ina pur-ki

.

.

ina di-ni-su [idabub-ma]la i[-lak-ki]

pan '"Apan"'..

.

.

.

pan '"Man pan "^ apil.

.

.

.

.

.

'".

.

.

pan "\ pan "^

.

.

.

.

pan

ara& Kijslimi

2

.

.

.

Aramaic:

J^DH

'pIN* '7 '^SdSn* 'n^l

No. 23.-K.8528.U-p[is-ma^Ram]man-na'i[d^^(^).ina libbi

.

.

imani

-1

siklu kaspi i\\ki]

kas-pu ga-mur ta-dineklu su-a-tu zar-pulak-ki-u tu-a-ru di-e-nu1 A. n. D. reads, zag; but nuiTierons others.

compare A. D. D. Nos.f),

422,

R.4; 423, E.4;is

and

A. D.

I),

reads, TaSritui

but

I

think the broken sign

better read,

Kislimu.

ASSYRIAN TEXTS TRANSLATED.for eleven shekels of silver he takesit;

79

the pricethat land

is

paid in

full;

is sold, is

taken.

either the son of

.

.

.

or his relative (?) or. .,

who, lawsuit, complaint with Mannuki. . .

or (his) sons [ 6 mina of silver,.

.

.

shall bring],.

.

.

1

mina of

gold,

.

.

.

in the treasury of

.

.

.

While he conducts.. .

his lawsuit

he shall not take it. Before Before A Before Before Before The month Kislimu..

Man.

.

.

.

.

.

,

son of

.

.

Before Before. . .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Aramaic

:

The document concerning Elimalek land of the city of Hame.

of the

No. 23.

And. .

has struck a bargain for.

(it)

Ramman-nai'd thehe takes(it);

officer.

For i mina and 4 shekels ofthe pricethat landtaken.is

silver

paid in

full;

is sold,

Appeal, lawsuit.

80

ASSYRIAN TEXTS TRANSLITERATED.la-as-su

dababu

man-nu

sa ina ur-kis

ina ma-te-ma i-za-ku-pa-ni i-garru-ni lu-u*'*Ti-ti-i

lu-u apil-su'"

lu-Hi apil apil-su la di-e-nu

dababu41

itti

Ramman-naid

apil-su

apil apil-su ub-ta-u-ni

mane

kaspi misu-usak-r[u]. .

mani hurasi

ina pur-ki Istar a-[sib

.

i-sak-kan kas-p[u]

Aramaic:

7pn H^l999

No. 24.-K.458.[di-e-nu dababju la-as-si

[man-nu sa igarru-]ui[lu-u.

.

.]

Zeru-tu lu ap[le-s]u

[lu-u] me-me-ni-su[sa itti]'"

Im-sa-i

[di-]ui

dababukaspi i-dan

ub-ta-u-ni

10

mane

a-di-e la sarri lu bel di-ni-su

pan "SaiTU-lu-da-ri1

Written ku by scribal error.

ASSYRIAN TEXTS TRANSLATED.complaint shall not be.

81

WhoevershallTiti,

in the future,shall rise up,

whensoever he

go to law,or his son,

either

or his son's son, who, lawsuit,

complaint with Ramman-naiVl, his son, (or) the son of his son, shall bring, 4 mina of pure silver,1

mina of

solid gold,

in the treasury of Istar,

he

shall deposit the

who money.

dwells at.

.

.

.

.

Aramaic

:

Document concerningwhich(is) in. . .

a field

No, 24.

[lawsuit, complainjt shall not be.

Whoever[either.

shall enter a lawsuit,.

]

Zeru-tu, or hi[s son]s,

[or

.

.

.

]

his relatives,.. .

[who, with ] Imsai, [lawjsuit, complaintshall bring,

10 mina of silver shall deposit (by) decrees of the king or the lord of his judgment.

Before Sarru-lu-dari.6

82

ASSYRIAN TEXTS TRANSLITERATED.

pan "^Sab-di-i '^'mii-kil Pa^ (^^'-^ [pan] Bir-am-ma-a """^'salsu Si^ [pan] "^ Man-nu-lu-u-ahu-u-a [pan] '" Bel-ga])-bi-e pan '" Sarru-ntiri '"'rab alani pan "^Nabu-kigall pan '"Nalbas-same sangu pan "' Na-sulj pan "^Tap(0'"'. . . . ..

.

.

.

.

.

.

'-&Tebet[i

...'

Aramaic

*:

*

*

JJ^

^i\ VVD XTS^

IDENTIFIED this name with that of " Sargon." This is quite possible since, although the Hebrew spelling is pil"1D, the Aramaic is often nothing more than a transcription of the Assyrian name. This sugC.I.

S.

gestion, however, leaves unexplained the

tO

following.

Lidzbarski proposes to identify it with " Sitirkanu," the name of the third party sold, while D stands asthe initial letter of "Tabuni," mentioned in line The absence of t from the Aramaic in the three.

12 and IT). But not absolutely certain, as the horizontal wedges are partly broken off of the first sign, and the sign as it now stands might ecpialThere was no doubt room on that ly well be guv. part of the tablet broken off for the third name, "Barahu," but I can think of no reason for the unfirst

word

is

no objection.

(Cf. Nos.

the reading "Sitirkanu"

is

usual reversal of the order of names.5,

(See Nos..,"

4,

and

IT.

)

It is

worthy of note here that only part

of the purchaser's

name appears, "Marduksome relation

.

.

and

that this purchaser bore

to Sennacheri)>.*

132

ARAMAIC REFERENCE NOTES.

No.

20 81-2-4,

152.

Menahimu

sells

three female slaves to the SaJclntu.

The Aramaic says simply: " Coucerniug JVIeuahem." For a similar use of 7 in the sense of "concernin Written NA-BU-U-A, which is in favor of A. D. D., III., Nabua; but the reading, NA-BU-U-U-A, seems ratlier to cast doubt upon the simpler form.

REGISTER OF PROPER NAMES.Nabu-zer-iddin, 29: 14.Nabu-zer-lisir, 40:2.

153

Radium, 3: Ragzu, 37:

11. 15.

Naharau, 1: C. Nalbas-same, 24: 17. Nasuh ... 24: 18.Nasir-duru, 6: 20.Nashu-ali, 10: 14.

Ramman^-bullitsii, 34:11.

Ramman^-danan, 18: 20. Ramman^-ibni, 34: 13. Ramman^-Na'id, 23: 1, 12.Ramman^-naten-ilu, 30:6.

Nergal-abu-usur, 29: 12.33: 13; 37: 15.

Ramman^-rimani,

16: 9.

Ner^al-sum-iddin, 13: 16; Ramman^-sar-usnr, 33: 10.

Ramman ^-uballit,

34:3.

Nergal-sar-nsur, 16: 13; Ra'u, 16: 11.29: 13, 16.

Rimut, 35:3;30:4;31:13.5.

Nergal-usezib, 31:

Nidintum, 33:40:3.

8;

37: 19; Sabdi-, 24: 11.

Salam-ahe, 14: 28.2.

Nidintum-Bel, 33:Nikiidu, 34: 12.Nina-a,! 15: 4; 21:

Salmute, 12: 30.Sil-Nabu, 17:5.

7.

Sukuda, 37:Sangi, 4: 17.

22.

Nusku-imurani, 8: 17. Nusku-Malik, 10: 10. Nurua, 5: 26. Nur-Sin, 34: 10.Paka-ana-Arbaili,17:1,

Sapiku, 9:

1.

Se-haza, 8: 10.

Si-duru- 4: 19.

Sigaba, 4:Sili, 12: 3.

5.

Pani-Nabu-temu, 29:

1, 6,

Silim-Asur,

7: 35.

7,9. Pan-Istar-lamur, 8: 16.

Silim-Bel, 18: 23.Silim-ilu, 20: 21.

Pappada, 18:

22.

Simadi, 4:

9.

/Parsu(0,

8: 12.

Sin-aplu-iisiir, 8: 15.

Pir'a, 19:27.

Sin-ah-eriba, 1: 24.

Purka-a, 11: 25.1"-

Sin-ahe-e[riba], 19:oftlie

7.

In

G: 12 tlie

name'

city

is

written Ni-nu-ii.

Written IM.

Written U.

:

154

EEGISTER OF PROPER NAMES.Sum-iikin, 36:4.

Sin-etir, 37: 18.

Sin-ittiya, 33: 12.

Suzubu, 41:28; 12:

7.

Sin-sar-usur,

13:

34, 36; 14: 39.

Sitirkanu(?), 19: 4. Suka-a, 14: 23; 40: 3.Sadu-rabu-bullit, 32:12.9.

Tabuni, 19: 3. Takuni, 2: 3.Tebeta-a, 6: 4; 5: 35.

Tiha, 18: 18.Tab-sar-lstar, 17:6.

Sadu-rabu-sum-iddin, 31

Tukuni, 25:

5.

Salamraanu, 29: 10, 13. Titi, 23: 10. a-Xabu-su, 6: 18; 32: 10. bamasa, 37: 17. Ubar, 34. 8. Samas-eriba, 13: 19; 17: 7; Ukinya, 39: 4. 30: 5. Unzarhu, 19: 18. Samas-iddin, 37: 4, 13. Unzarhi-Asur, 17: 26. Samas-iksur, 12: 31. Unzarhi-Istar, 6, 7. Samas-reua, 14: 22. TrdLi, 13: 7, 33. Samas-rimani, 18: 15. Usi\ 4: 3.bamas-sabit, 11: 16.

Samas-sum-usur, 19: 15. Yaisu, 25: 6. Samas-uballit, 33: 12; 34: /Yakai-ahe, 20: 3. 12; 37:20.' Yamannu, 7: 29, 32. ^ VSangti-Istar, 5: 27.ar-lstar, 17: 2, 11.

Zabida, 32:

4.1, 6.

SaiTU-lu-dari, 24: 10.

Zabinu, 10:

Sarru-nuri, 24: 15.Sepa-Istar, IS: 4.

Zabisi, 40: 8.

Zer-Istar, 17: 27; 5: 36.4.

8epit-Nabu-(0, 31:Suisa, 4: 18.

Zeri-ya, 31: 13.Zeri-a, 5: 25.

Sulmu-ahe, 14: 27. Sulum-Babili, 41: 11.

Zer-ukin, 14: 33; 16: 12.Zita-a, 11: 20.ZizI, 13: 31; 12; 37.

Suma,

13: 37; 12: 32.

Summa-Ramman,

13: 18.

Zizi-ya, 19: 22.

PAET

IV.

CUNEIFORM AND ARAMAIC TEXTS.(155)

ASSYRIAN TEXTS.No. 1. K.405.

Ot).c^

fff^^yfT

^P^'''^^m

No. 6.-S.SS7.

E,

l-